Various surgical procedures are routinely carried out intravascularly or intraluminally. For example, in the treatment of vascular disease, such as arteriosclerosis, it is a common practice to access the artery and insert an instrument (e.g., a balloon or other type of catheter) to carry out a procedure within the artery. Such procedures usually involve the percutaneous puncture of the artery so that an insertion sheath may be placed in the artery and thereafter instruments (e.g., catheters) may pass through the sheath to an operative position within the artery. Intravascular and intraluminal procedures unavoidably present the problem of stopping the bleeding at the percutaneous puncture after the procedure has been completed and after the instruments (and any insertion sheaths used therewith) have been removed. Bleeding from puncture sites, particularly in the case of femoral arterial punctures, is typically stopped by utilizing vascular closure devices.
While there are a variety of prior art devices and techniques for closing such punctures, one primary problem is ensuring a complete seal of the puncture. One technique includes the use of a bioadhesive material to seal the puncture. Some types of bioadhesive materials must be activated prior to use, and should be activated just prior to use in order to avoid premature activation of the bioadhesive material that would affect its performance. The handling and activation of bioadhesive materials in the context of vascular and other tissue puncture closure devices present a number of challenges.